The following is addressed to Rep. Michael Grimm: When it comes to truth in labeling, House Republicans are getting off to a poor start with their constantly repeated references to the new health care law as "job-killing."

We find:

— Independent, nonpartisan experts project only a "small" or "minimal" impact on jobs, even before taking likely job gains in the health care and insurance industries into account.

— The House Republican leadership, in a report issued Jan. 6, badly misrepresents what the Congressional Budget Office has said about the law. In fact, CBO is among those saying the affect on jobs "will probably be small." The same study cited by the GOP also predicts an offsetting gain of 890,000 jobs in hospitals, doctors’ offices and insurance companies — a factor not mentioned by the House leadership.

— The employer mandate would boost demand for health care goods and services, thereby increasing employment in health care-related sectors. The number of ambulatory health care professionals needed will increase by 330,000. An additional 327,000 staff will be required to work in hospitals. Some 157,000 more nurses will be needed to staff doctors’ offices, outpatient clinics, and other provider locations. And payrolls at insurance companies will expand by 76,000 workers.